Mikuru Asakura returns to the RIZIN ring for his first fight since squaring off with Floyd Mayweather.
At a press conference Friday in Tokyo, RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara announced the full lineup for RIZIN LANDMARK 5, which has been moved from April 30 to April 29. The event takes place at Yoyogi National Stadium and will be headlined by Asakura (16-3, 1 NC) fighting former featherweight champion Juntaro Ushiku (22-9-1).
Asakaura made headlines this past September when he boxed Mayweather in an exhibition bout at a Super RIZIN event in Saitama, Japan. Mayweather beat Asakaura in the second round by knockout.
Ushiku seeks a return to the win column after a second-round submission loss to Kleber Koike cost him the RIZIN featherweight title and snapped a four-fight win streak.
RIZIN LANDMARK 5 is being billed as having a double main event, with Yutaka Saito (20-7-2) and kickboxing standout Ren Hiramoto (2-2) squaring off in a featherweight bout in the co-headlining spot.
Sakakibara also announced that former Bellator bantamweight champion Juan Archuleta (27-4) will be in action at RIZIN 42 on May 6 in Tokyo. Archuleta made a successful Japan debut this past December when he won a split decision over Soo Chul Kim at the Bellator MMA vs. RIZIN event. An opponent for Archuleta is still to be determined.
Also set for the April 29 undercard are Koji Takeda vs Luis Gustavo, Tsuyoshi Sudario vs. Roque Martinez, RENA vs. Claire Lopez, and Kanna Asakura vs. Mei Yamaguchi.
See the announced lineup for RIZIN LANDMARK 5 below.
Mikuru Asakura vs. Juntaro Ushiku
Yutaka Saito vs. Ren Hiramoto
Koji Takeda vs. Luis Gustavo
Tsuyoshi Sudario vs. Roque Martinez
RENA vs. Claire Lopez
Kanna Asakura vs. Mei Yamaguchi
Johnny Case vs. Ali Abdulkhalikov
Masanori Kanehara vs. Sora Yamamoto
Kazuma Kuramoto vs. Shinobu Ota
Callyu Gibrainn vs. Mikio Ueda
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/3/5/23625503/mikuru-asakura-juntaro-ushiku-set-rizin-landmark-5-main-event-juan-archuleta-to-fight-at-rizin-42?rand=96749
